Paris-class Heavy Frigate
The Paris-class Heavy Frigate is a classification of frigates utilized by the United Nations Space Command and which has a design focus on speed and maneuverability over size and firepower. It was introduced in the wake of Operation: TREBUCHET to provide rapid response and lucrative tactics during insurgency operations. It would see widespread use during the Human-Covenant War's most notable engagements including the Aragon Campaign and Fall of Reach. This class was ineffective to most Covenant warships due to the lack of firepower needed to bust through the energy shielding. It's greater size required more crew and complimentary soldiers than most of the other classes of frigates and destroyers, giving the Paris-class one of the highest casualty rates among its kind. It received a refit in 2555 which saw the application of shielding technology integrated into the hull. History The Paris-class is a multi-mission warship capable of providing support in naval engagements, conducting atmospheric operations, and providing troop deployment for ground forces. The frigate status also makes it easier to produce in larger numbers and that's why the Paris-class has become the staple as fleet escorts. During the Spring Showcase of 2514, the UNSC contracted the design for the Paris-class to SinoViet Heavy Machinery. The design was simple and adaptable. The UNSC designed the frigate for use in counterinsurgency operations, particularly Operation: TREBUCHET. The first known appearance of the frigate was as part of Admiral Cole's fleet. The heavy frigates provided escort during the pacification of Mamore in 2517. Admiral Cole was responsible for putting down the radical sect of the People's Occupation Government in Mamore and paved the way for the UEG to reconstruct the colony's infrastructure. After first contact with the Covenant resulting in a genocidal war, it became clear the Paris-class was far to inferior and light armored to handle the more advanced Covenant warships. The sole reason the UNSC continued mass production of the frigate was due to it's low costs and cannon fodder status which bought the UNSC more time in planning and evacuations. It was for these reasons that the Paris-class had one of the largest casualty rates when compared to other classes. Design The Paris-class Heavy Frigate has a design based around heavy armament, speed, and maneuverability. The frigate is heavily armored with its design mostly built around the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon located at the upper prow of the ship. The lower section of the bow houses the ship's launch mechanism for the Shiva Nuclear Missiles. The centermost thorax of the frigate contains the barracks and main service hallways that connects to other areas in the ship. There are six ventral SR-VII Thrust-Propulsion Rockets that provide immediate evasion in emergency situations. The heavy frigate has two brachial structures or "arms" located port and starboard of the centerpiece. These symmetrical arms house the forward maneuvering thrusters which allows the frigate to reposition itself in all directions. There are at least 30 secondary maneuvering thrusters located all throughout the ship which aid in mobility. The interior of each arm includes six hangar bays for dropship/fighter deployment as well as an auxiliary drop bay in case the need arises. The exterior of each arm includes six M-910 Rampart Point Defense Turrets, two M-25 AA 110mm Double-Barrel Railguns, and six hardened silos that contain Harpoon Nuclear Missiles. Much like a crow's nest, the command bridge is situated atop the deck. It contains most of the heavier communications, tracking, and radar equipment including the satellite dish that connects directly with the BattleNet. The UNSC have installed a universal docking port that can link up to repair stations such as those in orbit of Reach. The bridge crew also has immediate access to eight three-man escape pods should evacuation protocols go into effect. The aft section consists of an abdominal structure with two lateral extremities or "legs" that protrude from either side. The upper part of the main structure was where the naval engineers worked and the lower-ventral part contained the armories and main loading elevators for force deployment. The legs are reinforced with massive armor plating and structural ribs because of its importance of housing the two main fusion reactors and engines. Engines Two F09RNP Nuclear Reactors are used for power generation. The reactors use thermonuclear fusion to achieve a deuterium-deuterium reaction which releases fusion energy that can be harnessed and used to power the propulsion systems, Slipspace engine, life support, and other electronic systems. The energy generated from the reactors is channeled into a series of exhaust manifolds which vector it into the ship's engine nozzles. The Paris-class has eight different engines: two Ram-XII primary engines, two Hurricane-XIII secondary engines, and four Firestorm-XIV tertiary engines. These engines are capable of allowing the frigate to reach maximum speeds of Mach 26.28 in atmosphere and Mach 202.36 in space. The Paris-class heavy frigate was equipped with a single Series-III CODEN, FTL-320B drive mounted in the lower aft section. The FTL drive is a superluminal propulsion system that allows spacecraft to tunnel through slipstream space which allows a kind of faster-than-light travel across intergalactic space. The Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine uses particle accelerators to generate micro black holes that tears space-time and then capacitors manipulate these tears to open a "wormhole" between real and slipstream space. The vessel travels through the wormhole into the non-spatial Shaw-Fujikawa dimension. In the time of the Human-Covenant War, these drives were had a Slipspace velocity of around 2.625 light years per 24 hour period. The primitive nature of these FTL drives meant anomalies in travel times could still occur. Armament Compliment Known Vessels Category:Human Ship Classification